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The Verb "Bear" in English

Conjugation of "To Bear"

The verb "bear" is an irregular verb. (This means that "bear" does not form its simple past tense or its past participle by adding "-ed" or "-d" to the base form.)

The Five Forms of "To Bear"

FormbearAlternative Name
Base FormbearInfinitive Form
The -S FormbearsThird Person Singular Form
Past FormboreSimple Past Tense
The -ING FormbearingPresent Participle Form
The Past Participle Formborn (also borne)[no alternative name]

"To Bear" in All the Tenses

The tables below show how "bear" conjugates in the past, present, and future tenses.

Past Tenses

PersonSimple PastPast Progressive TensePast Perfect TensePast Perfect Progressive Tense
  • I
  • you
  • he/she/it
  • we
  • you
  • they
  • bore
  • bore
  • bore
  • bore
  • bore
  • bore
The simple past tense is for a completed activity that happened in the past.
  • was bearing
  • were bearing
  • was bearing
  • were bearing
  • were bearing
  • were bearing
The past progressive tense is for an ongoing activity in the past. Often, it is used to set the scene for another action.
  • had born (also borne)
  • had born (also borne)
  • had born (also borne)
  • had born (also borne)
  • had born (also borne)
  • had born (also borne)
The past perfect tense is for emphasizing that an action was completed before another took place.
  • had been bearing
  • had been bearing
  • had been bearing
  • had been bearing
  • had been bearing
  • had been bearing
The past perfect progressive tense is for showing that an ongoing action in the past has ended.

Present Tenses

PersonSimple PresentPresent Progressive TensePresent Perfect TensePresent Perfect Progressive Tense
  • I
  • you
  • he/she/it
  • we
  • you
  • they
  • bear
  • bear
  • bears
  • bear
  • bear
  • bear
The simple present tense is mostly for a fact or a habit.
  • am bearing
  • are bearing
  • is bearing
  • are bearing
  • are bearing
  • are bearing
The present progressive tense is for an ongoing action in the present.
  • have born (also borne)
  • have born (also borne)
  • has born (also borne)
  • have born (also borne)
  • have born (also borne)
  • have born (also borne)
The present perfect tense is for an action that began in the past. (Often, the action continues into the present.)
  • have been bearing
  • have been bearing
  • has been bearing
  • have been bearing
  • have been bearing
  • have been bearing
The present perfect progressive tense is for a continuous activity that began in the past and continues into the present (or finished very recently).

Future Tenses

PersonSimple FutureFuture Progressive TenseFuture Perfect TenseFuture Perfect Progressive Tense
  • I
  • you
  • he/she/it
  • we
  • you
  • they
  • will bear
  • will bear
  • will bear
  • will bear
  • will bear
  • will bear
The simple future tense is for an action that will occur in the future.
  • will be bearing
  • will be bearing
  • will be bearing
  • will be bearing
  • will be bearing
  • will be bearing
The future progressive tense is for an ongoing action that will occur in the future.
  • will have born (also borne)
  • will have born (also borne)
  • will have born (also borne)
  • will have born (also borne)
  • will have born (also borne)
  • will have born (also borne)
The future perfect tense is for an action that will have been completed at some point in the future.
  • will have been bearing
  • will have been bearing
  • will have been bearing
  • will have been bearing
  • will have been bearing
  • will have been bearing
The future perfect progressive tense is for an ongoing action that will be completed at some specified time in the future.

Most Common Irregular Verbs

The two most common irregular verbs in English are "be" and "have." These pages give more details about these two verbs: Here are the next 10 most common irregular verbs in English:

Most Common Irregular Verbs

The two most common irregular verbs in English are "be" and "have." These pages give more details about these two verbs: Here are the next 10 most common irregular verbs in English:
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This page was written by Craig Shrives.

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